Head of Quality Improvement

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group was officially formed 1 July 2021. With a budget of around £620 million and with over 11,000 staff, we operate two hospital sites and a number of services based in the community, serving a population of 900,000 people across Northamptonshire.

As two hospital Trusts we face a range of challenges, from meeting the growing demands of an ageing population, to providing consistently high-quality care with the financial and other resources we have available and making sure we have the right number of staff with the appropriate skills.

To meet the challenges we face, we have agreed an ambitious Group Strategy 'Dedicated to Excellence' which sets out our strategic ambitions and priorities for the next five years.

In order to support the transformation of our services and embed Quality Improvement throughout our Group, the Group has recently made an investment in Quality Improvement so there are exciting times ahead for QI.

This role, the Head of Quality Improvement, has a crucial role in embedding Continuous Quality Improvement management systems in the Group. As part of the wider Group Transformation and QI team, the role is crucial for creating and maintaining focus, enthusiasm, and momentum for all aspects of the Group’s ambitions for Quality Improvement and helping to create a culture where all people view quality improvement as a core part of their role.

**The post holder will**:

- Lead the strategic development of the Quality Improvement strategy for the Group
- Lead the strategic development of an “Excellence Academy” to build sustainable capacity/capability for quality improvement and change.
- Align to the Group’s strategic direction, ensuring the Group’s Quality Improvement programmes delivery against agreed objectives
- Work closely with system partners, clinical, operational and corporate service managers to provide leadership, support, advice and coaching for the delivery of quality improvement
- Ensure appropriate infrastructure for QI to provide internal reporting of progress in line with governance structures and risk management protocols.
- Promote a culture and ensuring frameworks exist for promoting a culture of continuous and quality improvement, including establishing digital and non-digital forums for best practice sharing, celebrating successes and developing a learning culture
- Promote and provide leadership for the Group QI programme with internal and external stakeholders, including Northamptonshire ICS, NHS England and with our patients and the public.

The post holder will provide effective input into the work of the Group, to support the achievement of our vision and values.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group is made up of Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust and Kettering General NHS Foundation Trust. Both hospitals are separate hospitals/employers with hospital board and leadership. We share a group executive team leading on a shared vision, mission, priorities, strategies and Dedicated to Excellence Values.

**Our Excellence values are**:
**Compassion**: We care about our patients and each other. We consistently show kindness and empathy and take the time to imagine ourselves in other peoples shoes.

**Accountability**: We take responsibility for our decisions our actions and our behaviours. We do what we say we will do when we say we will do it. We acknowledge our mistakes and we learn from them.

**Respect**: We value each other embrace diversity and make sure everyone feels included. We take the time to listen to appreciate and understand the thoughts beliefs and feelings of others.

**Integrity**: We are consistently open honest and trustworthy. We can be relied upon we stand by our values and we always strive to do the right thing.

**Courage**: We dare to take on difficult challenges and try out new things. We find the strength to speak up when it matters and we see potential failure as an opportunity to learn and improve.

For the detailed job description and main responsibilities, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

**For more details on the post, please contact**:
Becky Taylor - Group Director of Transformation and Quality Improvement

or

Cindy Odendaal - EA to Group Director of Transformation and Quality Improvement